


I'd only want to make you smile

by Queenofthebees



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Meet-Cute, nedcatweek2018, shy Ned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 18:11:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16603019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenofthebees/pseuds/Queenofthebees
Summary: “Are you sure it was the name badge you were looking at?”Ned spluttered, feeling his face heat up but Catelyn laughed, reaching out to pat his hand. Her touch was soft and warm, just like her.“I’m just messing with you,” she insisted.“Oh, right,” he muttered, frowning at his own stupidity as he gathered up his things.“You’re so serious,” she quipped, although her smile was still sweet and teasing. “I’ll make you smile yet, Ned.”Seeing you is more than enough, trust me.





	I'd only want to make you smile

Ned was a creature of loyalty.

So, when his friend’s business backfired (though Ned had told Robert that owning a bar didn’t actually mean he could help himself to drink!), closed down and was turned into a cute little coffee shop, Ned had promised Robert he wouldn’t visit the place.

The only person who could ever compare with Robert was Lyanna. And she had told Ned, quite bluntly, that he was being stupid.

“Why should a local business suffer because Robert was an idiot?” she questioned him one evening after agreeing to meet to celebrate the end of her exams. “Honestly Ned, try it! I know you’ll _love_ the cappuccinos they make. It’s the smoothest coffee I’ve ever had, and they give a third of the profits to the country of origin.”

“Do they?” Ned questioned doubtfully. But he knew that Lyanna was not going to back down on this and so allowed her to reluctantly lead her towards the café.

“You can check everything on the internet these days dear brother,” she quipped.

“Like, whether Arthur Dayne is on shift?” Ned retorted, spotting the man of Lyanna’s affections through the window.

Lyanna flushed, even as she gave a nonchalant shrug making Ned chuckle. He had once hoped Lyanna would return Robert’s affections but despite remaining close friends with him, Lyanna had already fallen for Arthur.

All thoughts of teasing his sister left his mind as he locked eyes with the woman behind the till, leaving him certain that he was doing an incredible impression of a gaping fish at that moment. He had never seen eyes that blue, glittering in the soft light like a sunlit sea.

“And yourself sir?”

Ned jumped, glancing at the menu for the first time, having spent the whole queue in awe of the beauty before him to realise that Lyanna had already ordered and the woman was looking at him expectantly.

 “I, uh…umm…uh, tea, please.”

Lyanna turned her head slowly, narrowing her eyes slightly before returning her attention to where Arthur placed her coffee on a tray with a bright smile.

“Well, I think you’ve changed your mind,” Lyanna teased as they sat down.

“Oh, shut up,” Ned grumbled, even as he chanced the girl another glance.

***

“Hello again!”

Catelyn (he had read her name badge that first day) greeted him with a bright smile, her hair tied in a neat braid that hung over her shoulder. Ned grinned back, heading up to the counter.

“Cappuccino today?” she asked.

“Please,” he replied, casting a glance around the empty room. “It’s quiet today.”

Although, Ned had noticed it being quiet the last couple of weeks.

“Yeah, we’ve been struggling the last couple of weeks to be honest,” Catelyn replied, flashing him a sad smile over her shoulder. “I’ll be unemployed before the end of the month probably. Too many coffee shops opening everywhere.”

Ned couldn’t have that. So, he grabbed a handful of the chocolates at the till point, walked to the fridge and grabbed a sandwich and two bottles of water. Catelyn blinked as the pile spread across the counter before looking back at him with a raised brow.

“Might as well get my lunch here,” he stated, hoping he was appearing calmer than he felt.

Her lips twitched a little as she rang the items through.

“Have a nice day.”

“Ned,” he blurted. She blinked several times in response and Ned cleared his throat. “I’m here so often, you might as well know my name.” He gestured to her name badge. “Since I know yours.”

She followed the gesture of his hand to the name badge and then looked back at him with a quirked eyebrow.

“Are you sure it was the name badge you were looking at?”

Ned spluttered, feeling his face heat up but Catelyn laughed, reaching out to pat his hand. Her touch was soft and warm, just like her.

“I’m just messing with you,” she insisted.

“Oh, right,” he muttered, frowning at his own stupidity as he gathered up his things.

“You’re so serious,” she quipped, although her smile was still sweet and teasing. “I’ll make you smile yet, Ned.”

_Seeing you is more than enough, trust me._

***

Over the next few days, he spent most of his money in the coffee shop. He had even had to ask Benjen for a bit of money for his bus fare to work, promising to pay him back at the next payday. His smile had been far too sly for Ned’s liking when he had commented.

“Don’t spend it all in the café brother.”

He supposed it had been rather obvious, much to his siblings amusement. Even Lyanna wasn’t being this pathetic, she had teased.

But Ned couldn’t help it. Catelyn was beautiful inside and out, the sweetest woman he had ever known. Her smile lit up his day, made even the worst day at the office tolerable with just the knowledge that he would see her afterwards, even if it was only for a hour every day. It was Ned’s favourite time of day.

“I think I know how to make you smile,” Catelyn greeted him, her head resting in her palm as she smiled at him.

“Well, braver people have tried,” he commented, fighting to stop himself from smiling just from seeing her, trying to keep up the façade just for her attention.

She slid a piece of paper across the counter, her tongue swiping across her pretty pink lips. The movement had Ned instantly forgetting about the paper until she cleared her throat and pushed it closer to the edge.

Picking it up and unfolding it, he felt his eyebrows raise at the phone number scribbled in pretty, curvy writing. When he looked up again, Catelyn was blushing, her body rocking side to side shyly.

“Perhaps you’d like to get lunch somewhere else someday?” she teased.

“Anywhere,” he said quickly. “I’ll go anywhere with you.”

She grinned, leaning over the counter and for one beautiful moment Ned thought she was going to kiss him. But instead her thumb brushed against the side of his mouth and her smile widened.

“Told you,” she chimed victoriously.


End file.
